Ben-gurion Secures Iceland’s Backing at U.N. for Arab-israel Talks

Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s visit to Iceland produced assurances today that Iceland will again vote at the United Nations for direct negotiations between the Arab states and Israel.

While no official statements have been issued to that effect, the certainty of Icelandic support emerged from the cordiality of talks between the visiting Prime Minister, the host Prime Minister, Clafur Thors and Icelandic President Asgeir Asgeirsson.

The two Prime Ministers exchanged friendly comments about the warm relations between the two countries at a luncheon given in honor of Mr. Ben-Gurion, which was attended by the American and Soviet Ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps. Prior to the luncheon, Mr. Ben-Gurion and Premier Thors had a discussion of political matters which lasted two hours instead of the scheduled 30 minutes.

The Scandinavian stand on the Palestine refugee problem and on support of the anticipated resolution on direct Arab-Israel peace talks at the forthcoming UN General Assembly were on the agenda of the Nordic Foreign Ministers conference which opened today in Helsinki. Mr. Ben-Gurion, during his visits to Norway and Sweden had asked officials of those countries for support of the resolution. The Swedish Foreign Minister was reported to have started discussions with other Foreign Ministers at the conference on that issue.